


The Trouble with Mother Nature

by Laitie



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-22
Updated: 2020-05-06
Packaged: 2021-03-01 16:54:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23790397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Laitie/pseuds/Laitie
Summary: A fanfic of mine about Rise of the Guardians and Mother Nature.
Kudos: 9





	1. Chapter 1

Vee danced across the rocks of the river expertly, laughing as she counted her steps. A young tiger cub followed her, not as certain in her steps and slipping on the wet rocks.

“C’mon, Baghir!” she called to the tiger cub. “You’re falling behind!”

The cub growled his reply and bounded out of the water after her. His eyes locked on to the tail end of the girl’s silky-black braid that trailed down her back. 

“You’re gonna miss it!” she called back to Baghir. The sun was almost gone, and it was already quite dark in the jungle. Mo would begin to worry if Vee didn’t get home soon.

The 15-year-old girl jumped on to a tree and began climbing. Baghir followed her lead. When they finally reached the canopy and could look out into the sky, stars were sparkling in the blackness up above. She grinned and turned to help Baghir up onto the canopy. Then she laid back, and stared up into the night.

There! A small light dashed across the sky! And another! She pointed. “There, Baghir! See?” She gave a chuckle and glanced back to be sure her friend had seen.

Being of the feline race, Baghir easily detected the movement, and she let out a mew of happiness. Vee nodded, satisfied, and looked back up at the sky.

She didn’t know how long they stayed up there. They didn’t even think about leaving until Baghir’s mother called for her.

I don’t want to go, Baghir mewed. 

“Mo says this will happen again tomorrow,” Vee assured her. “We’ll come back.”

Reluctantly, Baghir nodded and accepted Vee’s help as they climbed back down.

Where have you been!?, Baghir’s mother demanded. Your brother and I have been worried sick! The other tiger cub at her side mewed in confirmation.

Sorry, Momma, Baghir mewed, head down.

The mother tiger turned to Vee. And Mo’s been worried about you, too, she scolded the girl.

“OK,” Vee said. “I’ll go home. See you guys tomorrow!”

Oh, no, The mother tiger said. We are walking you home. Vee frowned. She opened her mouth to protest, but the tiger let out a growl. Now.

The girl sighed. Reluctantly, she walked beside the tiger mother and Baghir’s brother all the way home.

The family of tigers dropped Vee off at the largest tree in the jungle. There was a large root that jutted out from the ground, and there was a large hole beneath said root. She climbed through the hole before the tigers made their way home. 

The hole dropped her down into the entryway of the home she shared with Mo. The underground home looked as any underground home would look. Large spaces dug out for rooms. Vines and other plants climbed along the walls, and the ground was covered in a soft layer of moss. “Mo!” she called, walking across the room towards Mo’s bedroom. “I’m home!”

“Vee?” Mo’s voice was weak, and she hobbled down the hallway to her beloved girl, a solid tree branch helping her as a walking stick.

Mo and Vee couldn’t look any more different. Mo’s hair was wild, full of bright red curls entangled with twigs and leaves. Freckles covered her pale skin. Her green eyes were full of wisdom and love. She was skinny, with long limbs and pointy joints. 

Vee’s skin was dark. A shade of brown much like the bark of a tree or the mud after a heavy rain. Her eyes were the same brown, with her long hair silky and black. Her build was more sturdy, her limbs toned from all the time she spent playing and working in the jungle.

Vee had always thought Mo beautiful. As beautiful as the sun shining on the water of the river. But lately, the woman seemed to be losing her beauty. Her glow dimming. Her skin wrinkling. Her body withering.

Vee frowned as the woman approached her. “Mo?” she asked. “You...you’re...” She closed the distance between them and wrapped the woman’s free hand around her shoulders to help support her. “You should be in bed.”

“So should you,” Mo said with a chuckle, though her voice was weak, and the chuckle turned into a cough. 

“OK,” Vee said. “But..you first?”

Mo let out a weak grin. “OK.” Slowly, the two made it to Mo’s bedroom, and the woman laid gratefully down upon the ground, the moss beneath her quickly thickening to bring her more comfort as she rested.

“Mo?” 

“Mmm?” The woman looked up at her beloved child. 

“When will you get better?”

Mo smirked. “In due time, my girl,” she said softly. Vee frowned. She had lived with Mo all her life. And never had the woman ever gotten sick. Not even a small cold. Carefully, Vee laid down beside her. The moss grew thicker for Vee, as well, as she laid down.

“How do I help you?” she asked.

Mo let out a breath as she thought of a way to phrase the answer. Finally, she began. “Remember the story of your mother?”

Vee frowned. “She was an outcast. Pregnant before getting married.”

Mo nodded. “She was chased out of the village. Away from her home.”

“You tried to take care of her for a while,” Vee continued. “But then it was time for me to come out.” She stared down at her dirt-coated hands. “You couldn’t help both her and me. So...” 

“So I helped her pass as peacefully as she could,” Mo continued gently. “I made sure she knew that you would be taken care of.”

“What does that have to do with me helping you get better?” 

“There is a time for everything, child,” Mo explained patiently. “There is a time for rain. There is a time for night. There was a time for you to come out into the world. And there was a time for your mother to pass.”

Vee blinked tears out of her eyes. She didn’t want to admit what she thought Mo was saying. “It seems that there will soon be a time for me,” the old woman went on.

“A time for you to what?” Vee asked, her voice cracking.

Mo gazed over at the girl and brought her arms about her, enveloping her in a hug.  
Unlike Vee, she had never needed sleep before. Now, though, it seemed as if she was sleeping all the time. She fell asleep with the girl in her arms.

Vee, however, had been struggling to sleep for weeks. Now, she was wide awake, and she carefully crawled out of Mo’s grasp. She needed help.


	2. Chapter 2

Silently, she stepped across the room, through the entryway, and climbed out of the hole. She raced through the jungle, scared that she was too late. Scared that perhaps they would not be visiting the nearby town tonight. 

She stepped silently through the dark streets, keeping to the shadows. The town on the edge of the jungle was modest, but you never knew if anyone had decided to stay up and wander the area late at night. Her eyes widened in hope when she spotted one of the creatures she was searching for. A baby-toothfairy, jotting into an open window. She quickly climbed up the tree nearby. Just as she reached a branch level to the window, the baby tooth shot out. She reached out and grabbed for it, then quickly dropped from the tree and raced back into the jungle.

Once a safe distance away from the down, she opened her hand and gazed down at the terrified fairy.

“I’m sorry,” she said softly. Frantically. “I didn’t mean to scare you, I promise. It’s just--you see--I need help.” The fairy calmed as she realized her captor’s intent. She listened. “Please. Tell Tooth I need her. Mo is... she...” She shook her head. “Please. I don’t know where else to go. Tell Tooth that Mo needs her help. Mother Nature needs her help.”

The baby tooth made a small sound of acceptance and nodded before darting back out into the night. Vee sighed and hugged her chest, trying to stop her shaking. Finally, she made her way back home.

Vee sensed Tooth before she saw her. Even Gray, the jackal that lay across Vee’s lap offering the girl comfort, sensed the unusual presence in the jungle. Vee’s gaze sharpened, and she glanced about her surroundings.

Tooth came down from the trees, followed by four Baby Tooths. She looked exactly the same as when Vee last saw her, 8 years ago. 

“Vee,” Tooth said breathlessly, approaching the girl sitting on the root over the hole. Her eyes were full of concern. “Look at you. You grew so much.”

The girl bit her lip to hide her tears. This was not the time to reminisce or talk of growing up. Time was running out. Gray stood and leapt down from the root, and Vee followed suit.

“Mo’s sick,” she said softly, looking away from Tooth. “She...I...” Her eyes began to well. “Mo never gets sick.” 

Tooth frowned. She reached out and touched Vee’s shoulder. “Vee...” She didn’t know what to say, and Vee didn’t give her a chance to think of anything.

“C’mon,” she said, pulling away from Tooth’s touch and climbing through the hole. Tooth glanced at her Baby Tooths before following her into the darkness.

It wasn’t dark for long. Vee touched an orb and took it into her hand. It glowed at her touch, and illuminated the room. Wordlessly, Vee led the Guardian through the entryway, down the hall, into Mo’s room. She lifted her hand and let go of the orb. Obediently, the orb remained suspended in the air, lighting up the room and Mo’s form breathing deeply in her sleep upon her bed of moss.

Tooth frowned. “I don’t...I mean...I’m The Tooth Fairy. I don’t know...” The look of utter despair and helplessness on Vee’s face silenced the fairy. Instead, Tooth turned and went to kneel beside Mo. She touched Mo’s skin. Brushed her hair away from her face. The woman didn’t even stir. 

“I don’t know what to do,” Vee said, her voice shaking.

“Vee, I--”

“She was talking about it being her time.” Vee’s voice grew louder and faster as she spoke. “It can’t be her time! I’m not ready! I don’t know what to do without her! Tooth, please!”

“Shhh,” Tooth soothed, hovering over to Vee and placing a calming grip on her shoulders. Knowing that this was certainly not the time to remind the girl of the state of the entire planet if Mo withered away, she chose to attempt comfort. “I don’t know what to do, Vee,” she said. “But I’ll go and talk with the rest of the Guardians. Right now. We’ll think of something.” She pulled the girl into a hug. Vee broke in her arms, finally allowing herself to sob as she gripped the fairy tight.


End file.
